Japanese Hand Tools…Becoming Part of The Process

Skills are subject to continual development.  When I commenced building bamboo rods, I relied on power-tools to bring stock into a “manageable” condition.  I aggressively removed stock to the desired workable size. I dictated to the power tools exactly what I wanted to achieve - the harder you push stock into a sander, the more stock is removed.
​
Aside from machining metal components, the more rods I built, the more I gravitated toward hand-tools. Hand-tools provide a quiet environment where one can gently sculpt, shave, cut, bend, and otherwise manipulate stock. More importantly, hand tools force one to become part of the process, rather than dictating the process. Dismayed by the lack of quality, I eventually entered the wonderful world of Japanese hand tools.

---

Japanese Dovetail Pull Saw - I’ve come to rely heavily on my Japanese hand saw. Rod builders are continually adjusting strip length base on where they are in the building process. Rather than having a power tool rip through a strip of bamboo and cause it to fracture at an undesired location, my Japanese handsaw provides perfect, slow, crisp cuts at my target locations. 

Japanese Iwasaki File - Like many builders, bamboo nodes are a source of frustration and problems. We do everything to eliminate their troubling presence. We grind them down, press then, sand them, and even yell at them. A Japanese file will properly put the builder in his place. By allowing the file to cut, the builder is merely guiding the file in the desired direction. Soon, a small repetitive action of guiding the file will reduce the node to powder.

---

Japanese Froe - I started splitting culms with a froe. I had no idea what I was doing and the resulting bamboo strips proved this point. I then tried a bandsaw jig, a table saw jig, and star cutters. I then came full circle, only to start back at my froe. I tried again and settled on the use of a froe, vice and my two hands. My results have been the best, resulting in plentiful, workable strips. 

There is a larger lesson to learn. Japanese hand-tools cannot be forced. Forcing such tools will induce error. However, when we accept our position in the process as maker and allow the tool to do the work for which it was designed, we create a wonderful team. The maker becomes part of the process, rather than a dictating force. 

Instead of prying back the pedals of a spring flower, we allow it to open when it is ready. Accepting our position in the larger process sometimes means slowing down, backing off, and witnessing the beauty unfold…when it is ready.

---